


Drunk Interrogation: First Draft

by CeceRose



Series: Stranger Things Murder Mystery Scripts [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Assassination, F/M, Gen, Haunted Houses, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, Murder Mystery, Mystery, One Shot, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 19:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21307589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeceRose/pseuds/CeceRose
Summary: Bewildering occurrences have arisen in Hawkins. Nancy acts strange, which makes Jonathan wonder if she is responsible.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Mike Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Mike Wheeler & Nancy Wheeler
Series: Stranger Things Murder Mystery Scripts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539118





	Drunk Interrogation: First Draft

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first draft of a four-page script I entered in for the Television Academy writer's internship.This is the first draft which resulted in heavy revisions to the later scene.

FADE IN:

INT. THE WHEELERS’ KITCHEN—NIGHT

NANCY WHEELER stands in the kitchen in front of the sink. She is soaked through her clothes from head to toe in pond water and algae. JONATHAN BYERS sits on the other side of the counter on a barstool. An open bottle of liquor sits on the counter in front of him, though there isn’t a single sip taken from it. Nancy removes her jacket and socks and wrings them out over the sink. She then runs a soapy washcloth under the tap before using it to scrub her bare arms, neck, face, and legs. Jonathan faces her as she does this, but has a faraway look in his eyes, as if he isn’t really paying attention to what is happening. When he finally decides to speak, his voice has an obviously forced slur.

JONATHAN

Long day, huh?

Nancy pops open a bottle of shampoo and dunks another liter of it onto her head, letting her fingers go to town on her hair and scalp.

NANCY

I’m just glad no one else used the showers or baths.

She wrinkles her nose at the rancid stench of Jonathan’s untouched beverage.

The place is fucking cursed. We need to start packing tonight so we can just leave in the morning.

JONATHAN

I guess Hopper was right and this place really is haunted by Mayor Mendes. I wonder how he died…

His condescending tone of voice earns him a quick glare from her. Jonathan opens his mouth again but before he can say anything more, the muffled brushing of socks over the carpeted steps distract him. Both teenagers swivel their heads to see MIKE WHEELER, standing in front of the stairway in his pajamas. Immediately, the boy’s face shrivels up like an old tangerine.

MIKE

Yuck!

His voice is shrill. This causes both Nancy and Jonathan to smash their index fingers against their lips.

NANCY JONATHAN

Shhh! Shhh!

When Jonathan speaks again, it is loudly, despite hissing for Mike to be quiet mere seconds before.

JONATHAN

Yeah! You’re gonna disturb the mayor’s ghost!

A loud smack echoes off the walls of the small double room. It’s Nancy’s palm, slimy with soap, hitting her equally sleek forehead like a car driving at full speed into a brick wall. Mike raises an eyebrow at Jonathan.

MIKE

What’s wrong with him?

He talks to his sister while still keeping his oh-so-innocent eyes on her boyfriend.

Is he drunk?

He notices the liquor bottle on the counter. Jonathan puts up a shaky thumb and smiles a crooked smile at the boy.

JONATHAN

Right you are, smaller, scrawnier Nancy.

His words are slurring deliberately again. Nancy throws the algae-ridden washcloth at Jonathan’s head, purposefully missing so that it flies across the living room and hits the back wall. There it sticks. So much for keeping quiet. The sound, brute force, and uncharacteristic aggression of this action stuns both boys. It startles Mike completely awake and makes Jonathan nearly forget he’s supposed to be pretending to be drunk. Nancy points an accusatory finger at Jonathan.

NANCY

He’s not drunk! He’s just faking it!

JONATHAN

What? Babe! How could you say that?

NANCY

Cut the bullshit, Byers. I can tell the difference between someone who knows what it’s like to be drunk and someone who’s never been. I know, Jonathan.

Jonathan forces a laugh.

JONATHAN

Babe, that’s ridiculous! Why would I lie about being drunk?

He throws his hands up in the air in a cringe-worthy attempt to seem drunkenly unaware that he looks like a fool. It only ends up reaffirming how un-ironically like a fool his is making himself out to look. Nancy is not amused. Mike looks on in bewilderment. He can’t tell real drunkenness from fake either. He looks almost wide-eyed from Jonathan to his sister.

MIKE

Yeah, why would he lie about being drunk?

NANCY

Ignore him. He’s trying to get a rise out of me.

Jonathan lifts his shoulders and then drops them in an awkward shrug. Nancy shoots him annoyed glances every once in a while, but ultimately plays dumb. She scrubs the rest of the algae with a sponge.

I don’t know what you want.

Jonathan’s face finally sobers up, defeated. An awkwardly silent stare-down commences. Mike continues to look between the two of them with curiosity.

MIKE

…So… about the mayor…

Both Nancy’s and Jonathan’s eyes snap to him. He get defensive. He puts his palms up in a blocking motion, a confused look in his eyes.

All I’m saying is, it’s a little weird that there were rumors about him being assassinated and then a day later we find him in the pond right near our house!

Mike leans forward with a raised eyebrow, daring the older teenagers to deny the oddities that have occurred as of late. They say nothing, only furthering this awkward interaction. Mike is about to say something else. He is exasperated. He’s sick and tired of everyone walking on eggshells around him as if they are trying to hide something, as if everyone is in on it but him. But before he can say anymore, Nancy throws the sponge—now completely soaked and green with the pond-scummy water—into the sink. No trace of algae remains on her body or clothes save for the green tint of the water droplets that still cling to her skin. Her eyes are narrowed in an intimidating manner and she glowers down at her younger brother.

NANCY

Mike, please go back to bed. I need to talk to Jonathan in private.

MIKE

But I-

Nancy raises her voice.

NANCY

Mike! We’re gonna have kitchen sex! Go to bed now!

This makes Jonathan’s entire face go red. His eyes are so wide they nearly pop out of his skull. Mike’s face on the other hand is bone white. His body goes rigid. He looks as if he is holding his breath. He takes one last look at the older teens before scuttling back up the stairs. After he’s gone, Jonathan jerks his head back to stare in horror at Nancy. She leans forward across the counter until her face is inches from his. Her expression is blank. When she speaks, her tone is neutral.

NANCY

So, you wanna know what happened to Mayor Mendes?

Jonathan stays silent for a few more beats. His eyes dart around to fall upon different areas of the kitchen.

Need a hint?

She drains the sink. A bloodstained kitchen knife emerges like a shark fin from the retreating water.

CUT TO BLACK.


End file.
